Union garment



J. M. ATKINSON.

UNION GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1919.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

wuemto'c m n M w JOSEPH M. ATKINSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR '10 OPPENHEIM,

OBEBNDORF -& 00., ING, OF BALTIMORE,

UNION GARMENT.

i YLAND.

MARYLAND, A. CORPORATION OF To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn M. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Union Garments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in union garments and is directed particularly to garments wherein elastic inserts are employed to provide elasticity at places-in the garment where strains are applied.

The object of the invention is to provide improved reinforced elastic webbing inserts at the back of a union garment whereby vertical and horizontal elasticity will be provided and at the same time the elastic which provides the horizontal elasticity will serve as a reinforce in a vertical direction while the elastic which provides vertical elasticit will serve as a reinforce in a horizontal d1- rection.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of reinforcement for elastic garment inserts.-

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein,

Fig. 1, shows a union garment in rear view to which my improvement is applied.

Fig. 2, illustrates on an enlarged scale a fragment of an elastic insert provided with my improved reinforcement, together with fragments of the woven or inelastic garment fabric at each side of the elastic insert.

Fig. 3, shows a vertical longitudinal section through the vertical elastic insert as the same would appear if out on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4, illustrates a horizontal sectional detail through the horizontal elastic insert, the section being taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawin the numerals 5 and 6 designate two bo y parts of the rear of the garment and 7 and 8 the two rear leg parts of the same.

The front of the garment is not illustratedbut may be of the usual construction and parts, which however, are joined to the rear parts by vertical side seams 9.

A posterior flap 10, is provided on the rear leg parts, and a button or equivalent fastening 11, is employed to secure the flap in position.

Between the two upper body parts 5 and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2,

Patented Mar 28, 1922.

191a Serial no. 286,855.

6 and the two lower leg parts 7 and 18 I interpose a crosswise strip of elastic Webbing material 12. This elastic webbing strip extends from one side seam 9 to the other and has its upper edge stitched along the lines 13 and 14, to the lower edges of the upper body parts 5 and 6 respectively and has its lower edge secured by stitching 15, across the upper edges of the rear leg parts 7 and 8.

Intermediate its ends, the elastic strip 12, is provided with two vertical folds 16 and 17 respectively,-one of said folds 16, being located on the outer side of the garment and the other on the inner side of the garment. This double fold in the elastic strip produces a three ply thickness between the two vertical folds 16 and 17.

At the vertical folds l6 and 17 the threeply thickness of elastic webbing material is secured together by spaced-apart vertical rows of zig-zag stitching 18,-which latter, while securing the three plies of'material together do not destroy the elasticity in a vertical direction.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be noted that the double folds 16, 17 and the three ply thickness of elastic material are located at a point on the rear of the garment in a vertical lane between the inner edges 19 and 20 of tlie two upper body parts 5 and 6 of the garment so that, in this instance, the reinforcement formed b the triple fold is not directly interposed between either upper body part and the lower leg parts.

It will also be noted by reference to Fig. 1, that the upper end 21, of the flap 10, terminates at the lower seam or stitch line 15, and at one side of the three ply reinforcement.

Between the two upper rear body parts 5 and 6, I interpose a strip of elastic material 22, which latter has its opposite vertical edges secured to the inner vertical spaced-apart edges 19 and 20- of the two upper body parts. This elastic strip therefore extends vertically between the two rear body parts with its upper edge formed into a fold 23, at the neck opening 24, and its lower edge 25, secured to the upper edge of the cross-wise elastic strip 12, at the three-ply reinforce and between the vertical folds 16 and 17 of the stri 12.

This construction secures t e lower end y of the vertically-inelastic strip 22, atfthe upper edge of the horizontally-inelastic strip so that vertical strains on the vertical strip will cause the horizontal stri to yield vertically at the reinforced three-p y central point. 4

The vertical strip 22, which is horizontally elastic because it is formed of elastic webbing that will stretch in one direction but is substantially inelastic in the other direction has two horizontal or cross-wise folds 26 and 27,the former at-the outer side of the arment and the latter at the inner side 0 the garment as clearly shown in Fig. '3, .of the drawing.

This double fold also produces a threeply thickness of elastic material between the two rear body parts 5 and 6 and also between the neck and the cross-strip 12. This reinforcement is therefore located between the shoulders or armholes where horizontal strains in the garment are greatest.

This three-ply reinforcement in the vertical strip 22, is also maintained by zig-zag spaced rows of stitches 28, which secures the plies against vertical strains but leaves the strip elastic to yield for cross-strains.

By means of'this' peculiar arrangement of elastic strips and reinforcements I produce a garment that is peculiarly elastic both vertically and horizontally and is also reinforced in both of said directions and by this means a closer fitting' and less bulky garment can be produced with a saving of material.

venience in handling raw edges which such 1 patches must have.

Having described my invention, I claim,--

1. A union-garment having a rear with two upper body-parts which are separated \by a central vertical strip of elastic material whose upper end termlnates at the neckopening,said vertical strip being folded horizontally at a plurality of points to produce a plurality of plies between the folds from the single strip and means for elastically securing the said folds in a horizontal dlrection. 2. A union garment'having a rear with two upper body-parts that are separated by a vertical elastic stri and two lower leg parts whose upper e ges are attached to the lower edge of a horizontal elastic strip,- the upper edge of said horizontal strip being secured to the loweredges of the two upper'body arts and also to the lower edge of the vertlcal elastic strip and both elastic strips having at least two cross-folds which extend in a direction in which the strips stretch and the folds in each strip being secured by elastic stitching.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 

